Does Ashtanga Yoga Work The Abs?

Ashtanga yoga, as taught by the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India, offers a powerful practice of postures and breathing techniques that tone your body and calm your mind. One breath matches one movement as you move through a series of poses designed to improve blood circulation and remove toxins that often build in the abdomen.

Abdominal Muscles

Your abdominal muscles include your rectus abdominis, the superficial "six-pack" muscle that runs along the front of your torso, the internal and external obliques along your sides, and the transversus abdominis, the deep belly muscle you use when you laugh or cough. Because yoga poses move your body in various directions, all these muscles get a good workout that enhances both body and mind. In fact, a 12-week ashtanga program helped adolescent children lose weight, lessen anxiety and build self-esteem, according to a study published in the May 2009 issue of "Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice."

Ashtanga Practice

Sun salutations, a major part of an ashtanga yoga practice, include quite a bit of abdominal work in its series of forward bends, back bends, muscle-builders and lunges. Your abdominals contract in forward bends, stretch in back bends and strengthen in the "pushup" movement of plank pose into chaturanga dandasana, or four-limbed staff pose. Sun salutations also include jumps, for instance from downward-facing dog into standing forward bend, which require strong abdominal muscles to help you land smoothly and quietly.

Poses

The go-to yoga poses for building abdominal muscles, according to the American Council on Exercise, include plank, lunges, upward-facing dog, navasana, or boat pose, with your legs stretched upward while you're sitting, inversions such as shoulder stand and headstand -- and arm balances such as bakasana, or crow pose, where you balance your knees on your upper arms with your feet off the ground. Twisting poses, such as trikonasana, or triangle pose, work the obliques.

Breathing and Locks

While deep breathing helps you work your abdominal muscles, pranayama, the Sanskrit name for breathing exercises, helps too. Ujjayi, or victory, breath, helps you maintain focus, calms and neutralizes your breathing, and adds grace in your movements as you glide from pose to pose. To heighten your energy flow, you can use the bandhas, or locks, to direct your breath. Mula bandha is the root lock at the base of your pelvis, and uddiyana bandha encourages you to draw your belly in and up to strengthen your transversus abdominis and lengthen your torso.

Considerations

Check with your health care provider before beginning an ashtanga practice. Be sure to drink plenty of water to remain hydrated. Take child's pose when you need a rest, and always end your practice with savasana, or corpse pose, for at least five minutes.